The Order of St. Hubert at Middle Tennessee State University

Count Franz Anton von Sporck of Bohemia instituted the Order of St. Hubert in 1695. St. Hubert, being the patron saint of the hunt, and Count von Sporck are both part of the early tradition of the horn. Count von Sporck is responsible for the introduction of the horn into Bohemia (now the Czech Republic) after bringing the instrument back with him from a visit to the court of Versailles in the spring of 1682. The horn grew in popularity in Bohemia and horn playing there was cultivated to the extent that Bohemian horn players were generally acknowledged to be the best in Europe by the 18th century.

Count Sporck would honor his valued friends and supporters with induction into the Order of St. Hubert. At MTSU, we honor the tradition of Count Sporck and his contributions to the horn by bestowing upon high achieving horn players the status of Master of the Order of St. Hubert upon completion of their first recital.